trying to break free

So, Nora, holding out in Chicago
your eyes burning segments in the concrete
holding onto the necessary frames like
explanation in your surrender
this time there are arrows
& mercury on your surfaces
& this that turns up, me in this envelope
never quite allowing myself out (I am)
listening to the Doors; funny I should
think of you instead of Jackie
but there is is this image of you
seeking ways outside a skull
designed too small to cope with your
mind and and
and in some sense you are a mirror
to these hours


There is no doubt that Nora Metzger Jones had a profound effect on my early life. I met her at St. Louis University in the Honors Program. Ultimately she became the great love of my friend Jack Jones. Jack was the driving force and organizing principal of the first group of friends I had outside of Wichita. We lived together in an apartment near Forest Park in St. Louis. But Nora could not stand sharing Jack with, particularly, Chris Beckman. And so she forced Jack to destroy his little group. I'll never forget that night in early December, 1969. Yet, we remained friends for many years. And ultimately Nora and I had a brief and stupid affair in 1975. The Year we both turned 25. Yes, Nora and I shared a birthday, June 29th and we shared a lot of other odd things and people. She was a beautiful woman, but she was also hyper and nuts. She had way too many ideas and I am not really sure why she didn't change the world completely. If she could've been really dishonest she might've ended up Hillary. But she could barely suppress herself telling people her true opinion of them, often very dark and negative. For this reason there were many people who just didn't like her. But I know she was just born a hundred or two hundred years too damn soon. And I have always loved the girl and feared the woman. I wonder what she'll be like at seventy?